Freight-car door



May 11 1926.

M. E- MUNDT ET AL FREIGHT CAR Dd 0R Filed Dec. '7. 1922 Patented May 11, 1926.

PATENT OFF-ICE.

MELVIN E. MUNDT AND JOHN V. CIZEK, OF CLUTIER, IOWA.

FREIGHT-CAR DOOR.

Application filed December 7, 1922. Serial No. 605,485. r

This invention relates to freight-cars provided with side doors and the object of the invention is to improve the construction of the doors and the mounting thereof, so as to facilitate the movement thereof, and render them more generally convenient and economical.

The invention is fully disclosed herein, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a car door embodying the invention as applied to an ordinary box-car. Fig. 2 is a central cross section of the same. Fig. 3 shows details'in the construction of the door sections, as seen in perspective from the outer side. Fig. i is a section on the line H of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary central cross-section, showing a part of one of the doors in elevated position.

In the drawing, the numeral 5 indicates the body of an ordinary freight or box-car, having the usual side door openings 6 and door-frames 7. To the inside of each frame at each side is attached a guide-rail 8 or 9, a part of the width of which is taken up by an interposed backing-strip 10. These rails rise from the floor to near the roof of the car, and then by curves at 11 are bent to extend horizontally, as shown in Fig. 2. The rail 9 may extend entirely across the car, and connect rigidly with the side of the car at the end, as indicated. The other rail nearly crosses the car at a lower level, so as to permit the passage of one of the doors between them. To support the free end of this rail, the upper and lower rails are connected by a looped bridge 12, within the loop of which said doors may pass. It will be understood that the construction shown in Fig. 4 is duplicated at the opposite side of the door.

The door itself is composed of a series of plank sections 18, preferably beveled at the edges 13 so as to exclude rain or snow. Near each end each section is provided with a linger 14, inturned at 14 to engage the laterally projecting portion of the rail, as shown. This finger is herein shown as part of a stout wire spring 15, practically U shaped, and attached by its connecting memher to the door section by lugs 01' eyes 16 and 17. To give sufiicient elasticity to the spring to permit the door section to make the short turn at the bend in the track, as shown in Fig. 5, the wire should be coiled at 15 The leg springing therefrom is attached to a bracket 18 having a flanged lower part 18 to serve as a handle in lifting the door. The spring finger may be attached to either side of the door section, as shown, on the rail or outer side, as in Figs. 1 and 3, or on the opposite side, as in Figs. 2 and 5. The former admits of the end of the door section extending beyond the rail-engaging finger, while in the latter case the door section must terminate practically flush with the side of the rail, or else the inturned lug 1 L mustbe quite long to reach the rail. Either construction is entirely practical, with some 70 slight advantage, perhaps, in the use of the longer door section, on the score of lateral displacement.

A hook 19 suitably hung adjacent the track serves to support one or more of the 7 door sections when elevated.

The door is manipulated, as will'be evident, by raising the upper sections successively, and running them up and inwardly. This makes it easy to open the door in any case, even when the-contents of the car are jammed against it, as the individual sections may be pried up, where it would be practi cally impossible to move a solid door. It also dispenses with any innerboarding across the door openings, in the ease of grain cars, since the grain may lie directly against the door, without interfering with the opening thereof gradually as the car is emptied.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. In a car-door, the combination with a transversely disposed door-slat and guiderails therefor, of spring fingers to hold the slat in contact with the rails, said fingers having coil-connected members disposed sub stantially parallel with the guide-rails, one member attached to the slat, and the other having a lateral hook to engage the rail slidably.

2. In av candoor, the combination with transversely disposed door-slats and guiderails therefor, of elastic fingers to hold the slats in contact With the rails, said fingers being substantially stirrup-shaped, With its legs disposed each side of the rail, one attached to the slot, and the other having a lateral hook to engage the rail on the side opposite the slat.

In testimony whereof We affix our signa- 1 tures.

' MELVIN E. MUNDT.

JOHN V. 'oIzEK." 

